What Is a Legacy Contact and Why Should Every iPhone User Set One Up? | Zachary Bainter
A step-by-step guide to Apple's digital estate planning feature
By: Zachary Bainter
We plan for a lot of things in life, but rarely for what happens to our digital lives after we're gone. Photos, messages, notes, documents; decades of memories can live entirely inside an iPhone. Without a plan, that information can become permanently inaccessible to loved ones, even with a will.
Apple's Legacy Contact feature solves this. It lets you designate someone in advance who can access your Apple Account data after you pass away. No password. No court order. Just an access key and a death certificate.
Why It Matters
• Prevents permanent data loss. Certain information, like movies, music, books, or subscriptions purchased with your Apple Account, and data stored in your Keychain, can't be accessed by your Legacy Contact, but everyday items like photos and messages can be, if you've set this up.
• It's secure by design. The data that can be shared may include photos, messages, notes, files, apps you've downloaded, device backups, and more, while sensitive items like payment information, passwords, and passkeys can't be accessed by that contact.
• No Apple account needed for them. Your Legacy Contact doesn't need to have an Apple Account or an Apple device.
• You stay in control. You choose exactly who gets this access, and you can add more than one person or remove it at any time.
Important: if you have more than one Legacy Contact, any one of them can individually make decisions about your account data after your death, including permanently deleting it, so choose people you deeply trust.
Before You Start
You'll need an Apple device running iOS 15.2 or later, be signed in to your Apple Account, and have two-factor authentication turned on (most accounts already do). Your Legacy Contact must be over the age of 13 (this varies by country) to request access later; though anyone can be named regardless of age.
Step-by-Step: How to Add a Legacy Contact on iPhone
1. Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen.
2. Tap Sign-In & Security, then tap Legacy Contact.
3. Tap Add Legacy Contact, and authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
4. If you're in a Family Sharing group, choose a member of that group or tap “Choose Someone Else” to pick someone from your Contacts using their phone number or email.
5. Tap Next, review how the feature works, and tap Continue.
6. Choose how to share the access key with your Legacy Contact: this can be sent via Messages or printed out as a physical copy. Encourage them to store it somewhere safe (not just in a text thread they might delete).
That's it! You'll get an email confirming the Legacy Contact has been added.
What Your Legacy Contact Needs Later
When the time comes, your Legacy Contact will need both the access key you shared and a copy of your death certificate to request entry to your account through Apple. This two-factor requirement is what keeps the feature secure while still being accessible when it truly matters.
Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management is an investment advisor located in California and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration of an investment advisor does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. Gerber Kawasaki only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Additional information about the firm is available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Zachary Bainter is a Financial Advisor of Santa Monica, California-based Gerber Kawasaki Inc., an SEC-registered investment firm with approximately ~$5.16B billion in assets under management and assets under advisement as of 10/05/26. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific tax or investment advice. Consult your tax professional regarding your individual situation.To determine which course of action may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Readers shouldn't buy any investment without doing their research to determine if the investments are suitable for their situation. “All investments involve risk and one should consult a financial advisor before making any investments. Past performance is not indicative of future results."
